20th Century Jewish Religious Thought

Overview

Cohen and Mendes-Flohr's classic work has been hailed by many as the most important comprehensive anthology ever published on topics central to Judaism from a modern perspective. This outstanding volume presents 140 concise yet authoritative essays by renowned Jewish figures Eugene Borowitz, Emil Fackenheim, Blu Greenberg, Susannah Heschel, Jacob Neusner, Gershom Scholem, Adin Steinsaltz, and many others. They define and reflect upon such central ideas as charity, chosen people, death, family, love, myth, suffering, Torah, tradition and more.

With entries from Aesthetics to Zionism, this book provides striking insights into both the Jewish experience and the Judeo-Christian tradition. This resource is sure to bring readers closer to an understanding of what Judaism is all about.

Key Features

Chapters are ordered alphabetically by topic

Bibliographies are at the end of each chapter

Includes a detailed glossary, list of abbreviations, list of contributors, and index

Praise for the Print Edition

A major achievement.

—The New York Times

Excellent . . . Not only scholars but general readers will profit from this superb anthology.

— Library Journal

The great strength of these essays is that they were written for the layman, without academic jargon but without oversimplification. No other reference book has brought me so much pleasure over the years.

—Jewish Herald Voice

Product Details

Title: 20th Century Jewish Religious Thought

Editors: Arthur A. Cohen and Paul Mendes-Flohr

Publisher: Jewish Publication Society

Publication Date: 1987

Pages: 1,200

About the Editors

Arthur A. Cohen was the author of Martin Buber, The Natural and the Supernatural Jew: An Historical and Theological Introduction, The Myth of the Judeo-Christian Tradition, and The Tremendum: A Theological Interpretation of the Holocaust. He also edited the theological writings of Milton Steinberg. An acclaimed novelist, his Artists and Enemies was published posthumously in October 1986.

Paul Mendes-Flohr is Professor of Modern Jewish Thought at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. He is the editor of a series on German-Jewish literature and cultural history for the University of Chicago Press, and he co-edited one of the seminal works of Jewish studies: The Jew in the Modern World: A Documentary History. He received his Ph.D. from Brandeis University and has taught at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.